Jose Barraza
Jose Barraza is running for election to the Fresno City Council to represent District 5 in California. He is on the ballot in the primary on June 2, 2026.[source]
Biography
Barraza earned his master's degree in public administration from California State University, Fresno. He worked for the Fresno County Administrative Office from 1974 until his retirement in 2010.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: City elections in Fresno, California (2026)
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for Fresno City Council District 5
Incumbent G. Brandon Vang (Nonpartisan), Jose Barraza (Nonpartisan), Danielle Parra (Nonpartisan), and Nickolas Wildstar (Nonpartisan) are running in the primary for Fresno City Council District 5 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | G. Brandon Vang (Nonpartisan) | |
| Jose Barraza (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Danielle Parra (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Nickolas Wildstar (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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2025
See also: City elections in Fresno, California (2025)
General election
Special general election for Fresno City Council District 5
G. Brandon Vang defeated Elizabeth Jonasson-Rosas, Jose Barraza, Paul Condon, and Nickolas Wildstar in the special general election for Fresno City Council District 5 on March 18, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | G. Brandon Vang (Nonpartisan) | 50.2 | 2,324 |
| Elizabeth Jonasson-Rosas (Nonpartisan) | 35.0 | 1,621 | ||
| Jose Barraza (Nonpartisan) | 12.3 | 568 | ||
| Paul Condon (Nonpartisan) | 2.3 | 106 | ||
| Nickolas Wildstar (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.2 | 11 | |
| Total votes: 4,630 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Leon-Barraza in this election.
2018
General election
General election for Fresno City Council District 5
Incumbent Luis Chavez defeated Paula Yang in the general election for Fresno City Council District 5 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Luis Chavez (Nonpartisan) | 61.4 | 7,912 |
| Paula Yang (Nonpartisan) | 38.3 | 4,930 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 42 | ||
| Total votes: 12,884 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Fresno City Council District 5
Incumbent Luis Chavez and Paula Yang defeated Jose Barraza and Paul Condon in the primary for Fresno City Council District 5 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Luis Chavez (Nonpartisan) | 41.0 | 2,495 |
| ✔ | Paula Yang (Nonpartisan) | 36.4 | 2,216 | |
| Jose Barraza (Nonpartisan) | 18.2 | 1,105 | ||
| Paul Condon (Nonpartisan) | 4.5 | 271 | ||
| Total votes: 6,087 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Fresno held elections for the mayor's chair and four seats on the city council in 2016. A general election took place on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on June 7, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 11, 2016. Luis Chavez defeated Jose Leon-Barraza and Antonio Gastelum in the race for the District 5 seat on the Fresno Municipal Assembly.
| Fresno District 5 City Council, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Luis Chavez |
58.11% | 8,079 |
| Jose Leon-Barraza | 24.42% | 3,395 |
| Antonio Gastelum | 17.12% | 2,380 |
| Write-in votes | 0.35% | 48 |
| Total Votes | 13,902 | |
| Source: Fresno County Elections, "Fresno County Official Final Results," December 6, 2016 | ||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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Campaign website
Leon-Barraza's campaign website stated the following:
A Plan for Progress:
PRIORITIES FOR DISTRICT 5
Jose Leon Barraza’s campaign for Fresno City Council, District 5, is rooted in addressing the most pressing needs of our community.
His priorities focus on creating a safer, more prosperous, and inclusive Southeast Fresno for all residents. Below are the key areas where Jose aims to make a lasting impact.
Public Safety
Ensuring the safety of our neighborhoods is Jose’s top priority. Every resident deserves to feel secure in their homes, schools, parks, and businesses.
- Police and Firefighter Support: Jose will advocate for increased funding to ensure police officers and firefighters have the resources and training necessary to effectively protect our streets.
- Park Ranger Expansion: He plans to continue expanding the Parks Ranger program to improve safety in public parks, ensuring families can enjoy recreational spaces without concern.
- Addressing Homelessness: Jose is committed to providing compassionate and effective solutions for homelessness, including expanding access to housing and critical support services to help individuals regain stability.
Jobs and Economic Growth
A thriving community starts with a strong economy and opportunities for its residents.
- Job Training Programs: Jose will prioritize job skills training to help residents secure higher-paying positions in growing industries.
- Small Business Support: By promoting business attraction, retention, and expansion programs, Jose will create an environment where small businesses can flourish.
- Economic Incentives: He will champion initiatives like tax credits and enterprise zones to attract new businesses and drive local job creation.
Housing Opportunities
Housing affordability and availability are critical to ensuring stability for families and individuals in District 5.
- Homeownership Assistance: Jose will work to expand access to down payment assistance programs to help more families achieve the dream of owning a home.
- Affordable Housing Development: He supports the creation of both single-family and multi-occupancy housing options to address the diverse needs of the community.
- Land-Use Planning: Jose will collaborate with city officials to implement land-use plans that balance growth with the preservation of community character.
Parks, Recreation, and the Arts
Every child and family deserves access to quality parks, sports fields, and cultural activities.
- New Parks and Soccer Fields: Jose is dedicated to building new parks and soccer fields while improving existing facilities, ensuring Southeast Fresno has safe and vibrant spaces for recreation.
- Equitable Allocation of Funds: He will continue to advocate for the fair distribution of Measure P funds to underserved areas like Southeast Fresno.
- Cultural Arts Access: Jose plans to expand access to cultural arts programs and facilities, creating opportunities for residents to engage in creative and enriching activities.
Commitment to a Brighter Future in Fresno District 5
Jose Leon Barraza is dedicated to working hand-in-hand with the residents of District 5 to build a safer, more prosperous, and equitable Fresno. By prioritizing public safety, economic growth, housing, parks, and inclusivity, Jose will ensure our community thrives for generations.
Join the movement and support Jose Leon Barraza's mission to create meaningful change for District 5.
Together, we can achieve great things!
— Jose Barraza's campaign website (March 27, 2026)
2025
Jose Barraza did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Barraza provided the following answer to a question from the Fresno Bee about his qualifications for office:
| “ |
I am the most qualified candidate for the Fresno City Council District 5 because I have extensive experience in various aspects of local government and community-based programs. I am the former Director of Economic Development for Fresno County. In this job I created a countywide enterprise zone (14 cities) and served as Chair of the Fresno County Blue Ribbon Business Committee, I worked 34 years for the County Administrative Office where as an administrative analyst performed duties in the areas of personnel, budgeting & finance, policy development, administrative oversight, management audits and capital projects preparing reports and making recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. Negotiated tax sharing agreements with cities in Fresno County, including an agreement with Fresno to add police officers. Additionally in the area of public safety, I served on SE Fresno Police Advisory Committee , was foreman of a federal grand jury for two years and participated in securing funds for the expansion of Fresno County jail and courtrooms. More recently was CEO and co-founder (six years) of the Southeast Fresno Community Economic Development Association where we provided technical assistance to businesses, job training and employment referrals. and advocated for more parks and recreation facilities for our youth, families and senior citizens.[2][3] |
” |
| —Jose Leon-Barraza (2016) | ||
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Jose Leon-Barraza," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Fresno Bee, "Fresno Bee voter guide," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
